


Endgame

by fumerie (grisclair)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Car Sex, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-21 12:31:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/597794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grisclair/pseuds/fumerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sleeping with the lover of East Asia's most dangerous arms dealer wasn't one of Oh Sehun's brightest ideas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Endgame

**Author's Note:**

> [originally written](http://runandgun.livejournal.com/4326.html) for [exollent](http://exollent.livejournal.com/) at [runandgun](http://runandgun.livejournal.com/). set to the beat of jay-z/kanye west's ["no church in the wild"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M37VucWh06Y).

  


-

  
Pain was just a form of information. The line played over and over in his head, running like tiny electric shocks through his body, from the pain receptors to the spinal cord to the brain. This was just his sensory nerves sending information to the brain, identifying and processing and cataloguing the information, cross-checking with the existing database. He had never felt this before, but the information his brain sent back in response to the pain told him he was going to die.

 

Kai blinked slowly. His shoulders were twitching. The ground was hard and rough underneath his body, the cold seeping through his clothes through his skin to the very core of his bones. The only warm part of him was his hand, but even that was turning cold. Blood didn't stay warm for very long once it left the body. Pressing his hand against the gushing wound in his stomach was more of a reflex than anything. The pool of blood underneath his body had soaked up to his elbow. His heartbeat was loud and erratic in in his chest, a stark contrast to the dead silence of the darkness around him.

 

He blinked again. There was something hard and heavy touching his cheek. The barrel of a gun. The cold metal dragged up and down his cheekbone slowly, nuzzling him like the most intimate caress. His own breathing was too loud for him to hear the person above him, but then the gun moved down to his shoulders and shoved him over. He let out a breathless cry as his back hit the ground, the jarring movement triggered another fresh flow of warm sticky blood through his fingers. His head was swimming, his vision blotchy with dark spots, but the eyes looking down at him were bright and unmistakeable even in the hazy lighting. He had once held a sense of disgust towards them - eyes so bright, so cold, so empty of any emotion, juxtaposed against an unbelievably kind smile. The effect was jarring, and he hated it. Yet right then he knew it wasn't disgust he felt anymore. It was fear.

 

The older man was smiling down at him, cheekbones rising up high, smile lines deep around his eyes. He slowly crouched down next to his head, and Kai could see from the corner of his eyes the way the man inched away from the pool of his blood, careful not to ruin his expensive bespoke suit and his shiny Italian leather shoes, both picked up from a small boutique somewhere in the heart of Milan. The man was tracing a semi down his cheeks, but he had always told him he wasn't a killer. Except when the nose of the pistol slowly dragged down to the edge of his mouth, the metal rough and cold against his lips.

 

"Open up." 

 

The man was still smiling, his voice soft and gentle as if he was talking to a small child. The barrel pushed its way into his mouth, and soon he was swallowing hot around cold metal. His full lips were stretched tight around the man's favourite revolver, all shiny silver and sleek graceful lines, and it was hard not to flick his tongue up. The gun slid in deeper, almost choking him. Death tasted heavy and metallic on his tongue.

 

Except he didn't want to die, not really. His blood-soaked hand reached up, shaky but determined in its aim, clutching around the man's wrist. His grip was weak and slippery, smearing red all over the crisp white cuff of the man's shirt. It felt like he was staring death in the face. The gentle smile was still there, the eyes still ice cold and too bright. He didn't want to die.

 

The cock of the hammer was deafeningly loud in the dark.

  


-

  
The air in Busan was swelling hot and humid, heavy with the smell of sea salt in the air. He had only come here a couple of times as a child, following his family on summer vacations, running around on the crowded and rowdy Haeundae beach. Twenty years later, the crowd and the heat were still exactly as he remembered. Sehun ran a hand through his sweaty hair, and the sight of the sandy blond hair out of the corner of his eyes startled him. It was still taking some getting used to.

 

The drive into the middle of nowhere was long and rocky, completely off the beaten path deep inside the forest and mountains of Dadae-dong, all the way at the southern-most tip of Busan. He had heard about the presence of a military base in the area. A purposefully strategic location, Kyungsoo had told him. It took him an awful long time to navigate his rented car around the mountain, half of his attention on the road and the other half on the beat-up map. A few hundred meters away, there was a small outpost that told him he was going in the right direction. He gave his name to the guard, and slowly crawled up the tiny road, listening to the crunch of leaves and gravel under the tyres of his car. It was past noon when he finally managed to pull up outside the imposing giant metal gate. They were already open, and a silent head tilt urged him to go in, swinging the car into the parking ground in front of the building. He glanced around, seeing sleek black BMWs and vintage red Aston Martin. Poker face on, Sehun told himself and took a deep breath, getting out of the car. He knew he looked calm from the outside, but his stomach was vibrating with nerves.

 

The house was every bit he had imagined the summer home of a billionaire to be - luxurious, opulent, the scenery and colour schemes lush and rich, with just the right touch of traditional Korean kitsch in the furniture and decorations. It looked more like an exclusive hideaway resort than an actual house with its flawlessly groomed garden, cobbled walkway, sliding glass doors, and rough heavy wood beams that looked like some million-won exotic trunk had just been cut down and brought back from a nearby tropical forest.

 

One of the housekeepers, or possibly bodyguards, searched him with thorough efficiency. He tugged at the top buttons of the black shirt he was wearing. So awfully oppressive in this heat, but Sehun had wanted to dress to impress. Another silent head tilt from the guard had him being led all the way to a garden out the back of the house. Sehun sucked in a breath as the scenery unfolded in front of him. It was high enough to see the vast expanse of the ocean stretching into the skyline from up there, the sunlight sparkling and glinting like gold off the water. The house looked like it was hanging on a cliff looking directly to the ocean, nestled by rocks and heavy old trees. He could see an enormous swimming pool at the very edge, the blue water looking as if it was spilling off the edge into the sea below. The view was stunning.

 

"Not something you see every day in the capital, is it?" An amused voice startled him, and Sehun stiffened. When he slowly turned around, it was to come face to face with the very person that had been haunting all his waking and sleeping hours for the last few weeks.

 

Standing out here in the ocean air and summer sunshine, living and breathing and not just another grainy pixelated picture on a computer screen, Kim Seunghwan looked less like a dangerous international arms dealer and more like your typical filthy rich businessman on a summer holiday. Dressed in simple but impeccable khaki pants and a dark grey button-down, Seunghwan's smile was welcoming and genuine, the smile lines deep around his bright eyes.

 

"No, definitely not, sir. The place is stunning." Sehun bowed ninety-degree in greeting. "Lee Sehun, sir."

 

Seunghwan nodded, still smiling. Sehun had been stiff with nerves for the past couple of days just thinking about this moment, but oddly enough, Seunghwan's warm, easy manner was calming. "From the capital, eh? What pulled you down here? Young kids like the big city."

 

Sehun bit down on his lips, the small smile on his lips purposefully bashful. "A bit of trouble with the cops there, sir. Nothing serious, of course, just young people being stupid. My cousin suggested I moved down here. Said you were a good boss. And the beaches are great, of course."

 

"Yeah, Minhyuk has told me," Seunghwan drawled, his eyes slowly raking up and down Sehun's form. "I've also asked about some of your... trouble in Seoul there." Sehun felt his body stiffen. Of course Seunghwan would dig into his background. "Stupid young people shit, of course, but we've all been there." Seunghwan grinned, and Sehun let the muscles in his shoulders loosen.

 

Seunghwan waved at him, motioning Sehun to walk with him down the cobbled path of the garden. There was something decidedly commanding about Kim Seunghwan. This was a man who carried natural-born power and knew how to use it, the ever-present smile a deceptively guileless weapon. This was power that came not with age nor money, but with guile and ruthlessness.

 

"See, don't take it the wrong way, I couldn't care less what it was that you were up to in that grubby city, I just want to be careful here, you know? The kids around here... they spend too much time partying with those foreigners at the port. The beach makes them complacent." Seunghwan grinned, smile lines deepening around his eyes. "So, a fresh start for you, kid. Busan is good for fresh starts. I know it seems like we're in the middle of nowhere here, but you'll be in the city plenty to have fun, so don't worry about that. Kai likes the city. Ah, speaking of the devil..."

 

The path suddenly cleared, and the sudden burst of sunlight made Sehun wince. The garden opened up to the large swimming pool, the vast body of water gently sloshing to the edge of the cliff. The view was breathtaking, the sky crystal clear and endless above him, and and it took Sehun a few seconds to realize there was someone sitting there on one of the lounge chairs lining the pool.

 

None of the grainy pixelated photos could ever have prepared Sehun for the sight in front of him. He had half-heartedly noted dark skin and plump lips in the briefing room, but the high-definition, living and breathing version was something off the main editorial spread of a high-end fashion magazine. The young man was half-naked, black hair still wet and slicked with water, white shorts slung slow on his hips, revealing miles and miles of smooth tanned skin. He was lean with strong shoulders, muscles defined and sculpted just the right side of perfection. His biceps glistened with droplets of water in the sun, golden skin looking flawlessly smooth to the touch, and Sehun swallowed hard.

 

"Kai, come here," Seunghwan called out, arms raising forward. The young man stood up and walked towards them, a hand reaching up to brush wet dark hair away from his forehead.

 

It was impossible not to stare, because _fuck_ , this guy - Kai - looked like the picture perfect trophy lover dream of every lascivious billionaire. Strong and sharp jawlines, dark and sultry double-lidded eyes, and those lips... Up close, the curves of those full, plump lips were a sin. They made for the perfect natural pout, soft-looking with the slightest hint of wetness. Kai moved with the grace and sensuality of lazy panther, someone who knew how to soak up the sun and the attention of everyone who ever laid eyes on him. He was tall, just the tiniest bit shorter than the imposing Seunghwan himself. Walking in bare feet, those long legs still looked like they went on forever. The shift of muscles underneath the white shorts drew Sehun's eyes to the perfect lean curve of thighs and calves. 

 

Kai moved to stand next to Seunghwan, and the look he gave Sehun made him unable to decide whether the young man looked bored, sleepy, or it was just his natural default face. There was something about Kai's presence, Sehun just didn't quite know what it was, but it pulled at him. Something oddly familiar. Something unsettling. Their eyes met for just a few brief seconds, and then Seunghwan's arm wrapped around Kai's waist, pulling him in to press flush against his side. Before Sehun knew it, Seunghwan was forcing those full lips open with his mouth.

 

Sehun could see the young man's body stiffen for a brief moment against Seunghwan, but as the kiss deepened, Kai's shoulders relaxed as he completely softened into the touch, closing his eyes and arching his back, parting his lips as tongue flicked into his mouth. Seunghwan's fingers spread wide on the tanned skin of Kai's lower back, just above the waistband of his shorts, stroking up and down the smooth golden skin. Sehun swallowed, having no idea where to look, because they were practically making out in front of him, lips and tongues and Kai's hips hitching up against the older man's side, muscles shifting and glistening hot under the summer sun. Even if he was not watching, it was impossible to escape the sounds of wet kissing and soft panting, the young man making wordless noises in his throat, the tone much lower than Sehun had expected, and it sent tingles down his spine.

 

It was too much to be just a greeting kiss, and Sehun knew all too well what this was. A show of possession, Kim Seunghwan showing off to him what was his, that Kai was irrefutably off-limit. A warning that he could look, but not touch.

 

When Seunghwan finally pulled away, Kai had a small smirk tugging on the corner of his lips. He was still clinging to the older man. Sehun carefully looked away.

 

Seunghwan tugged his lover closer, finally turning to look at Sehun. "I want you to meet Lee Sehun here. He's going to be your new driver and bodyguard."

 

The smirk immediately dropped from Kai's face, and he abruptly pushed away from Seunghwan. Sehun could tell Kai was far from pleased. "What? I've told you, I don't need a babysitter."

 

"We've talked about this," Seunghwan reached out, but Kai pulled away again. "He's not a babysitter. You know you need protection when you go out these days. There's a price on your head, and I am not going to risk it again after your car blew up in the middle of the fucking street last week."

 

"I can take care of myself, Seunghwan, I am not some helpless little kid. I walked away from that accident just _fine_ , didn't I?" Kai certainly didn't look very happy, even though he didn't raise his voice. The rough drawl of his deep Southern accent was oddly attractive to Sehun.

 

Neither of them was prepared for Seunghwan's hand to shot out and grab Kai's jaws, fingers digging hard into his neck. Kai's mouth dropped open in a wordless cry of pain, and the older man's fingers dug deeper, holding his face still and jerking it sideway to face him.

 

"Have you not listened to what I've been saying all week? I don't know what kind of luck you had that you could walk away with barely a goddamn scratch after Kris Wu had the goddamn Phoenix blow your car up in fire, but you're not a fucking cat with nine fucking lives, Kai." Seunghwan hissed, voice low and sharp. "If you think I would let Kris Wu's vengeful little army of hitmen blow you into tiny little pieces just because you fancy your little _freedom_ a little too much, think again."

 

Kai let out another pained gasp as Seunghwan shook him. Sehun stood rooted to the spot, body tense as he watched Kai's fingers clutch at the wrist of the hand Seunghwan had around his neck.

 

"So be a good boy, let this nice young man here take you around the city, and everyone goes home happy. Do we agree?" Seunghwan was smiling again, but now Sehun could see the way his sharp eyes glinted with that hint of ruthless coldness. It made his stomach lurch uncomfortably. When his eyes shifted to Kai, the young man's eyes were blazing with defiance, but his face was getting painfully red under the strong grip of Seunghwan's hand. 

 

Then suddenly, all the fight went out of him, and Kai's shoulders sagged, his eyelids fluttering down. Seunghwan's grip dropped away, and Kai stumbled slightly on his feet, hands immediately reaching up to stroke his neck. His lips were still pressed into a tight line, but he was resolutely not looking at either of them. Sehun's eyes traced the reddened marks lining the young man's throat. 

 

"Hey," Seunghwan's voice softened as his hand reached out to gently stroke Kai's cheek, ignoring the young man's flinch. "I'm just looking out for you. It's just for a couple of weeks, okay? Just a little longer, and we'll be all through with this." 

 

Kai said nothing, but Sehun could see him lean into the touch for a brief second, then breaking away. Seunghwan nodded, seemingly satisfied, then turned and walked towards Sehun. His posture was calm and relaxed, a hand reaching up to pat Sehun in the shoulders when he walked past, but in that moment, Sehun felt it - that cold sensation rushing through his head. The image of a sharp knife shooting out from underneath a shirtsleeves and blood spraying the ground flashed in his mind's eye. His hand immediately went up, snatching the older man's wrist as his body jerked backwards on pure instinct. It all happened in a split second, and when Sehun looked down, the blade in Seunghwan's hand was millimeters away from nicking the skin of his hand. Sehun's head snapped up, eyebrows furrowed. Seunghwan was smiling at him, looking oddly pleased.

 

"You're fast. Faster than all the others who have come to ask for this job. Or you have some pretty sharp intuition." Seunghwan was grinning now, all teeth, and Sehun felt his heart pound loud in his chest as the older man wrenched his hand away from his grip. His fingers stroked over the spine of the knife. It must have been hidden somewhere in the sleeve of his shirt. "You're starting from tomorrow, Lee Sehun." The man patted his shoulders for real this time, walking off.

 

A test. Sehun let out a shaky breath. The summer sun was beating hot over his back, but he felt his body running cold. If he hadn't acted fast enough, that knife would have embedded itself into his wrist, slitting it open.

 

When he finally looked up, it was to the sight of Kai staring at him, eyes dark and imploring.

  


-

  
"Kim Seunghwan - freight ship operator, international merchant, South Korea's biggest arms dealer. Based in Busan with its large international sea ports, he's one of the major players in the arms trade in the Pacific area. In the last two decades, his fleet has transferred arms in millions of tons across conflict zones in the Pacific. AK-47s, sniper rifles, ammunition, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, C-4 plastic explosives. Whatever they want, he's got it. He sells to both sides of the conflict in many cases, and makes fortunes out of it. There is no client he doesn't deal with. Kim Seunghwan has a hand in many political conflicts, but he has no political allegiance."

 

The screen flicked through images of Kim Seunghwan shaking hands with various political figures from everywhere across Asia and the Pacific. The man was tall and lean, posture imposing when he loomed over someone else. He reminded Sehun of a panther, slick and dangerous, always dressed in a sharp, impeccable suit, with his hair slicked back. Always smiling, but the smile never reached his eyes. Even with the blurry pixelated images, the abnormal brightness of those ice cold eyes sent chills down Sehun's spine. 

 

"If he has been in operation for two decades, why hasn't he been brought in yet?"

 

The blue lights of the projector flickered across Kyungsoo's face, leaving no hint to what he felt about the man he was talking about. His voice was calm and soft, as if he was just reciting the profile of a village teacher.

 

"Technically, there is no laws against arms trade in South Korea, nor in many other countries. There are grey areas, but it is difficult to catch arms dealers by that. Kim Seunghwan is also backed by many powerful political forces, even by important figures in our government. His business is very important to some people." Kyungsoo paused on one picture, and both Joonmyun and Sehun sucked in a sharp breath when they recognized the man Seunghwan was posing with in the picture was the country's current head of the Ministry of Defense. "His activities only recently became a major cause of concern as there have been rumours of him trying to sell a national arms technology system to... a client that could endanger the safety of this country. Now, we have no definite proof of this, but we trust our sources, and this is where you come in."

 

"Are you sure about this?" Joonmyun cut in, his frown deepening. The quick glance he threw towards Sehun made it apparent what he was asking about. "Sehun is one of the best field agents in NIS right now, but he knows next to nothing about the case's background..." 

 

"Don't worry, he will be briefed on everything," Kyungsoo moved towards him, and Sehun's eyes narrowed when the man reached out to place his hand upon the hand Sehun had on the table. A sudden chill seeped into his skin, and _flash_ -

 

Long, bright corridors stretched out in his mind, the lights so white it felt like they were draining his soul out of him. _Flash._

 

Sleepless nights spent poring over a surveillance system, dozens of computer monitors flashing in front of him, numbers and words and images and rhythmic green codes. His eyes were burning, from exhaustion or regret he wasn't entirely sure. The world was awfully quiet. The only thing he could hear was his raspy breathing. _Flash._

 

Kim Seunghwan's face. Sharp eyes, kind smile. _Flash._

 

His hand twitched, and Sehun jerked it away, heart pounding loudly in his chest. The skin on the back of his hand felt icy cold. Kyungsoo moved away.

  


-

  
Kai spoke in the local Busan dialect, the drawl rough and unfamiliar. He was dressed in a light blue shirt and slouchy dark jeans today, somehow looking much more casual than he had in that first meeting, lounging half-naked by the pool. Sehun thought about all those pictures he had seen of Kai when he was out with Seunghwan. As the screen had flicked through blurry pixelated pictures, Sehun's attention had been snagged on dark skin and plump, pouty lips, and that the young man was dressed in pristine white in almost every single picture. The white accentuated the golden tan of Kai's skin beautifully, making him look like some ice-cold unattainable prince from a faraway sun-soaked land, but Sehun suddenly realized it wasn't that white happened to be Kai's favourite colour. Seunghwan enjoyed seeing his lover in white, and Kai obliged accordingly.

 

Kai was always quiet in the backseat of the sleek black BMW convertible he had picked out from Seunghwan's mini collection, engrossed in whatever it was on his tablet. The discomfort was clear in his posture, the line of his shoulders tense and guarded. Yet sometimes when Sehun's eyes flickered up, he caught the other man's gaze in the rearview mirror. Sometimes he felt eyes drilling holes into the back of his head, the weight of it hot and distracting. Sehun drove him around the city, to the gym and the bank and Club EXO on the hottest strip up Haeundae beach because Seunghwan owned one of the largest nightclubs in the city and left it in the hands of his lover.

 

"You need a new haircut. You keep fiddling with your hair." Kai told him from the backseat. His eyes met Sehun's in the rearview mirror. "Let's go to the beach today, Seoul kid."

 

Kai dragged him to tiny stands and hundred-year-old family restaurants off the main beach, the two of them gobbling up seafood and scallion pancakes and delicious fish soup with vegetables. Haeundae beach was bustling with people and the little yellow floaters, and they sat people-watching in the sticky summer afternoon, nursing ice-cold beers in their hands. Kai kept pressing his beer against his heated cheeks instead of drinking it, and Sehun's eyes trailed the little droplet of sweat trickling down the other man's neck. It was stifling hot, the air salty and heavy. Sehun ran a hand through his sweaty hair, pushing it back, and Kai smiled at him, just an amused quirk of the lips.

 

"You look good like that. Now if only you could get a new expression on that stoneface."

 

Sehun snorted out a laugh, looking down in embarrassment.

 

"It isn't like Seunghwan really gives a shit whether I live or die, you know?" Kai was laughing sometime after the fourth beer. They were back to the car driving back to Dadaeng-dong now, and Kai had moved to the shotgun this time, sprawling out casually in the seat next to Sehun. "I don't matter all that much. It's just the principle of it. There was this clusterfuck, and these things happen, you know? Business is business, but sometimes it's a goddamn battlefield. Kris Wu's lover was just one unlucky bastard in the wrong place at the wrong time. So now there's a price on my head." Kai took a swig of his beer, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, lips wrapped tight around the bottleneck. They had all the windows down, the early evening wind cool against their cheeks. "Seunghwan wouldn't let me die, because he would never lose to the white king. I just happen to be a really strategic pawn."

 

There was something about Kai that was awfully familiar. It wasn't exactly in the way he looked or how he talked, but in the way his presence felt like a complete blank to Sehun.

  


-

  
The next assassination attempt on Kai came a little sooner than he had expected.

 

Sehun remembered looking at the blond teenage kid's big, guileless eyes staring at them in the reflection of the mirror lining the walls of the elevator and thinking it was impossible for a face like that to make a living out of slitting people's throat. The very next moment, he saw the glint of a sharp blade flash across his vision. Sehun felt his blood turn cold. His hand found Kai's wrist behind his back, and Sehun tried to subtly tug Kai behind him, his movements slow as his eyes were trained on the two people standing in front of them. He could see Kai's raised eyebrow from the corner of his eyes, but there was no time to explain.

 

The elevator slammed to a halt at the exact same time all electricity went out and the entire space plunged into pitch black darkness. The motion sent all of them tumbling backwards, and Sehun immediately jerked Kai back with his hand, pushing the man down behind him. He barely heard Kai go down with the faintest grunt in the commotion, as something heavy fell onto him at the same time there was a violent ripping sound and a choked gurgle.

 

Sehun cursed in his head as he pushed off the dead weight that had fallen on him. His fingertips came away wet and warm, and he knew without being able to see anything that the tall, burly man unfortunately stuck between them and the killer had just had his throat slit open, blood spraying the side of the elevator. He felt the blade coming towards him before it happened, but it was still pure luck that he managed to jerk back in the right direction to avoid it embedding into his throat.

 

The kid was insanely fast, except this was obviously far from a normal teenage kid. Even with all his shields down, Sehun struggled to hold up against his opponent's attacks. He struck out, feeling his fist connect hard with something soft, and reveled in the grunt the guy let out. He used the momentum to grab the kid's arm and twist it back, and he heard the clang of the knife falling to the floor. What he didn't expect was another knife shooting out from under the sleeve of the arm he was not holding, and the blade was so sharp it cut sweetly through his the fabric of his shirt and his skin when it came up. He barely felt the pain before hot blood streamed down his arm. Sehun gasped, and his momentary distraction had his opponent slamming him backwards, his head hitting the mirror behind with a loud crack.

 

His vision exploded in white, and his legs wobbled. He found himself sliding to his knees in the next beat, pain exploding in the back of his head, his hands prickled with sharp pain as he grasped at the broken glass on the floor. He could feel his opponent's presence looming over him, he could see faint glimpse of Converse shoes and jeans standing in front of his vision. He felt the blade coming down more than he saw it.

 

Except the blade never made it, and there was a sharp cry of surprise as he felt the presence over him disappear. The fight that ensued in the darkness right after that was fast but intense. There was suddenly loud cursing, and then shouting in Chinese, followed by clanging noises above their heads. Before he knew what was happening, the elevator slammed back into motion, the shock sent him tumbling backwards again, his vision still swimming with white spots. When the lights finally flickered back on, Sehun was greeted by the sight of the unfortunate man's dead body splayed in the middle of the elevator, blood already forming a large pool under his neck, and Kai kneeling on the other side with his entire right arm soaked red. The blond Chinese kid had escaped through the gaping hole on the ceiling of the elevator. 

 

"The blood's not mine," Kai told him, eyes sharp and dark when Sehun reached out to touch his arm. He hadn't been able to see very clearly in the pitch black darkness of the elevator they were trapped in, but he was not stupid enough to believe it was a stroke of luck when Kai sank a knife into the guts of the cute blond Chinese teenage kid who turned out not to be a teenage kid at all, but a notorious contract killer hailing from Beijing. 

 

The blood was warm and sticky under his fingertips, but the sudden rush of intense emotions from that skin contact burned much hotter. Touching Kai felt like coming home. Déjà vu all over again, flashing back all the way to the highschool days of that autumn over a decade ago.

  


-

  
When Oh Sehun was sixteen, he met a boy on the rooftop of his highschool. This was disturbingly clichéd, Sehun had always thought, but the truth was he had been silently following the boy around for days. They weren't even in the same class, and Sehun had only ever seen him in very brief passing seconds around the school. Yet there was something about that boy that kept pulling him in. Something familiar. Something unsettling.

 

The boy's name was Jongin. All dark skin, full lips, awkward lanky limbs, smiling eyes turning into half moons as he pressed his bright laughter against Sehun's back, bony shoulders shaking against Sehun's with mirth over some stupid joke they shared. Sehun might have fallen a little in love. Sehun might have had his first kiss on that very same rooftop. Sehun couldn't help clinging to the boy whenever he could, because Jongin felt like a complete blank to his touch.

 

Growing up, Sehun had always been surrounded by a constant buzz of noise inside his head. Thoughts, emotions, images, sensations. Things he should have had no way of knowing, because they belonged to the people around him. Sehun stopped telling people things he shouldn't have known by the age of ten. His parents had freaked out at first, but after he'd learned to keep quiet, they assumed his uncanny 'intuition' had gone away, and life went back to normal in his family. He learned to ignore the background noises, avoiding crowds and physical contact. Until Kim Jongin, who was a complete blank when he first touched him. It scared him at first, how he suddenly couldn't read a person at all, but then it was suddenly thrilling. He couldn't stop touching Jongin, fingers curling around wrists and stroking over the back of bare neck and rubbing across full lips. It was like learning the sense of touch all over again, the feeling of skin under his fingers completely unadulterated by buzzing noise or images.

 

Jongin just laughed against his fingers and taught him how to shield. Jongin wasn't quite like him, he said, but he knew how to block the noises inside Sehun's head. Jongin kissed him, and the touch of Jongin's fingers on his face was hot and painfully intrusive. It hurt, but he learned little by little.

 

Jongin moved away the next year, and they never saw each other again. Awful earnest and stupid teenage love of the formative years, Sehun thought.

 

More than a decade later, Sehun wondered if all of it had ever really happened, because when he dug up the records on the most extensive and thorough public database compiled and utilised by the country's most powerful underground intelligence agency, there was no Kim Jongin in the school records. At least, not the Jongin he wanted. He tried every search, every lead, every single detail he remembered about the boy. Address. Sister's name. Nothing. There was no Kim Jongin at Kyunggi High School, class of 2011. The computer told him Kim Jongin had never existed. Every trace of the boy had been wiped out of existence.

 

He didn't know the people at the Busan office of NSS very well yet, having just moved here from the Seoul headquarter of NIS, but Kim Jongdae's sharp eyes and his distaste for all the in-house politics made him someone Sehun felt like he could trust. Kim Jongdae's reputation as South Korea's most cunning covert hacker also preceded him.

 

"Kyungsoo doesn't need to know about this, I gather." Jongdae smirked.

 

"His name is Kim Jongin," Sehun said, "and I want to know if there's anything on him on NSS' in-house database."

 

"You know that database is only used for information related to all the cases, right?"

 

"Just a quick search." Sehun employed his most discreetly cute smile, complete with half-moon eyesmile and a promise of dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the city. This had always worked on the majority of people back at his old NIS office, with the most common victim being his immediate boss Kim Joonmyun. He suddenly missed the man.

 

Jongdae pursed his lips, but Sehun knew he had already won the battle.

 

The next time they met, Jongdae asked if he wanted to go out for a cup of coffee. Judging from the tight smile on Jongdae's lips and the hard look in his eyes, Sehun knew it wouldn't be coffee they would be going out for.

  


-

  
Do Kyungsoo made Sehun feel uncomfortable. There was something about the smaller man that made Sehun's blood run cold, ever since that first time he had come to pick him up at the NIS headquarter in Seoul. Pale skin, baby-faced, huge dark eyes following his every move, hands neatly placed on his knees when he sat. He was always dressed in a sharply cut black suit, dark hair cropped short. Something about the way he carried himself made Sehun feel unsettled. He looked too young, and yet something about him felt... too controlled, too closed off. Agent Do Kyungsoo, from the NSS, head of the Kim Seunghwan investigation. Joonmyun had spit out the introduction with blatant distaste.

 

If South Korea's National Intelligence Service, the NIS, was notorious for working to cover up the dirty laundry behind the scenes of political battles and national schemes, NSS _was_ the dirty laundry. Short for National Security Service, the majority of NSS activities were black ops, allegedly secret missions to protect the country at all costs. There had always been rumours about assassination and kidnapping, but the existence of NSS had been strictly unofficial and essentially a complete myth until six years ago, when a scandal forced them to go semi-public, but only to key governmental bodies.

 

NSS still mostly kept to themselves, and much of the agency was still a complete mystery. Myths built around it, most of them telling stories about the complete ruthlessness and cruelty of NSS agents and their casual disregard to any form of laws and order. It wasn't like he had always pictured them as complete psycho killers, but the feeling came close. Sometimes when Sehun looked at Do Kyungsoo's small hands, it was far too easy to imagine them snapping his neck in a split second.

 

Six years ago, NSS attempted an undercover op with the aim to infiltrate and break up Kim Seunghwan's operation, leading to the biggest fuck-up in the history of the agency, resulting in the death of a skilled operative and forcing NSS to undergo major changes in policy, some of which was to go semi-public and a requirement to cooperate with other governmental bodies. He had heard all the rumours about the disastrous op that led to NSS' exposure. It was _the_ mission everyone knew of, except no one really knew what it was about. All they ever had were rumours and speculations. 

 

The unofficial official story was the undercover agent's cover was compromised due to a major screw-up within NSS, and he was murdered by Kim Seunghwan himself. "However, that was a mistake we will not be repeating this time around," Kyungsoo had said, and it had been the first time Sehun had seen Kyungsoo's calm and cool facade crack. The flicker of emotion across Kyungsoo's face had been small, but it struck a chord inside him. There was something... devastated about that look. 

 

Joonmyun told him others said the undercover agent never died, having turned rogue instead and now working for Kim Seunghwan. That was the screw-up, that was the scandal NSS tried to cover up by declaring the agent dead.

 

Kyungsoo never quite exactly told him why NSS had chosen agent Oh Sehun from NIS for the second Kim Seunghwan op six years later.

  


-

  
"I found a Kim Jongin that might be the one you were talking about," Jongdae told him over coffee in a small 24-hour café not too far from their Busan office. In the late midnight hours, there were barely any guests around. Just two guys bonding over their late night latte, Sehun had joked. Jongdae had barely cracked a smile. The way Jongdae sat hunched over himself, eyes darting around every five minutes, was unsettling. "Kim Jongin. Marked 'Deceased' since six years ago."

 

Sehun sucked in a sharp breath.

 

"I found him in the related section of the Kim Seunghwan op." Jongdae's voice lowered even more. "Not the current one. The one from six years ago. The one everyone talked about. Are you sure this is something you should be prodding into without asking Kyungsoo? How did you even know this person? I only managed to dig up his file because you gave me his exact full name. There was absolutely no visible link to the profile from the main folder itself. You know what it normally means when a person's entire public record is wiped clean, right?"

 

Of course Sehun knew what it meant, because the same thing had happened to him. It meant that profile belonged to an undercover agent. A new life had been invented, the old one erased. There was a part of Sehun that knew he had expected this, but the truth was he just felt numb.

 

"The thing is... I couldn't open his file." Jongdae looked particularly troubled by this, and Sehun frowned, fingers curling tight around his mug.

 

"Why not?"

 

"I don't know why, but it seems like it's on another database. The file is marked as Classified, but normally I have no problem opening them if they're on the NSS' system. This one... it links to something outside. Even much more heavily encrypted than our usual system. And that's the strange thing, too. It's marked as 'Deceased', but the profile status indicates it has not been deactivated. Sure, it could be some bureaucracy mistake, but I don't believe in coincidences in NSS. I didn't dare touch it yet, because I have no idea what it is that it links to. Do you know, Sehun?" Jongdae's gaze was piercing.

 

"I... no. I don't know." Sehun shook his head weakly. The only thing he knew was that Kim Jongin was definitely not dead.

  


-

  
He was quick to realize what Kai needed definitely wasn't protection. At least, not the kind Seunghwan wanted him to have. Kai moved with the languid grace of careless confidence, because he'd earned it. There was a core of steel inside him, and Sehun saw it in the way he moved. This was someone dangerous in his own right.

 

When Sehun looked at Kai, he couldn't see Jongin. No, the truth was he could see how Jongin could have grown up into Kai with his strong, broad shoulders and languid quirks of the lips, but Kai's dangerous sensuality seemed miles away from the bright laughter Jongin had pressed against his shoulders more than a decade ago. From metropolitan Seoul to the sun-soaked beaches of Busan... Sehun wondered if it was possible. He still remembered the way Kai's half-naked body had arched into Seunghwan's possessive touch, his movements dripping with charm and seduction. He couldn't imagine the Jongin he knew would ever...

 

And yet touching Kai had felt like coming home, that rush of warmth and intensity pushing into his head. Once upon a time it had felt intrusive to him, but now Sehun wondered if it was nostalgia that made him yearn for it.

  


-

  
Sehun had a brief moment to think that he was probably getting a little too old for this, but when Kai pulled him to the dancefloor of EXO on a Saturday night, eyes shamelessly inviting with that cocky smirk on his lips, it was impossible not to follow. He had tried to resist, but Kai's fingers around his wrist were hot and insistent. It wasn't as if he could pretend he hadn't been staring the whole time Kai had been knocking back drinks in the VIP lounge anyway. Not enough to get him smashed, but enough for the sway of Kai's hips to brush against Sehun a little slower than just a casual touch. The place was packed with the hot young things, and the thumping bass of the music made it easy for the crowd to wrap around each other, rough fabrics sliding against flashes of bare skin.

 

He didn't quite want to look, but sometimes his eyes were snagged on the marks on Kai's body. The faint bruise around his wrists, reddened marks just under the collar of his shirt. Days when Kai's lips just looked that much more swollen and red than usual when he came down the stairs. It would be a sin not to look, but all this time Sehun had been trying to keep it at just that - look but don't touch. Some ice-cold unattainable white prince.

 

Except it was Kai who was touching him then, clever fingers hooked around the loops on the waistband of his jeans, stroking up the flash of bare skin under his shirt. Sehun's stomach fluttered under the touch, and Kai smirked against his cheekbones, his breath hot against Sehun's face. The press of the crowd was heavy, and it wasn't long before someone knocked into Kai and sent him tumbling forward into Sehun. Kai didn't miss the chance to pull their bodies closer, wrapping his arms around Sehun's neck, hands coming up to stroke up Sehun's hair, fingers gripping lightly. Sehun inhaled sharply when Kai insinuated a knee between his legs, and soon the other man's thighs were squeezing tight around his own, the undulating wave of Kai's body movement controlling the sway of their hips. Kai's hips kept hitching up, up, up his thigh, and Sehun gasped when they brushed against the growing hardness in his jeans, pleasure shooting hot like fireworks up his spine.

 

He shouldn't be doing this, but his hands found their way to Kai's backside anyway, roaming over the back of those strong thighs and fingers digging into a tight, pert ass under impossibly skin-tight white jeans. The white tank-top Kai was wearing kept hitching up, revealing smooth tanned abs, and Sehun exhaled hotly over the endless expanse of golden skin as Kai bared his throat, letting Sehun run his mouth down the side of his neck and his collarbones. The smell of Kai's skin was heady and intoxicating. Kai nuzzled his face against the side of Sehun's neck, hot lips nipping at his skin. Kai looked drunk on _him_ , and it was exhilirating. There was something burning hot in the bottom of his stomach, and Sehun just couldn't get enough of the willing body in his arms rubbing up against him. 

 

He ran his teeth very lightly up Kai's neck, his tongue flicking out to wet the young man's earlobe when it got there. He gently nipped the delicate outer curve, and sighed in satisfaction as Kai violently shivered against his body, clearly startled by his own sensitivity. It was so warm and humid, and Sehun couldn't remember the last time he had been this turned on just pressing and rubbing against another clothed body, the thumping bass vibrating through their flesh. The desire was so hot and overwhelming, burning through his skin and pushing heavy deep into his head, and-

 

Sehun's eyes snapped open as he wrenched himself away from Kai's touch. Nausea washed over him as he realized what Kai had been doing.

 

Kai's eyes were dark in the flashing lights, and suddenly the smirk on his lips didn't look so playful anymore, the edge of it harsh and cold. Sehun felt it in his head more than actually heard the words Kai was mouthing, drowned out by the deafening music and the rowdy crowd.

 

_"I know who you are."_

  


-

  
There was no gentleness in the way Kai slammed him back against the wall of a private bathroom all the way up above the VIP lounge. The thrum of the club was faint under their feet, but it was deafeningly quiet in here. No one would be around to hear if Kai decided to shoot him with the gun he was digging into Sehun's back, the metal cool through the fabric of his shirt.

 

"Agent Oh Sehun of the NIS. What do you think you're doing here?" Kai's voice was low behind him, and Sehun forced his body to go very, very still. Kai had gone back to being a complete blank to his senses, the heat from earlier completely gone.

 

"You recognize who I am."

 

"What, did you think I was stupid?"

 

"No. You _recognize_ me. You were forcing your way into my head, and my mind was so receptive because it was familiar, wasn't it? It's you, isn't it, Jongin? _Jongin_." Sehun breathed against the cold tile. The heat was gone, but there was still arousal thrumming low in his guts. Sehun squeezed his eyes shut. The gun digging into his back had gone very, very still.

 

"That was a long time ago." The harsh voice behind his back was quieter. Sehun couldn't help but huff a laugh against the wall.

 

"It was. This is not exactly the way I expected our highschool reunion to be. But I know who you are now, Kim Jongin. Special black ops agent, NSS."

 

There was a hitch of breath, and then the gun behind his back was gone. Sehun was still for a second, then he very slowly turned around. Kai still had the gun trained on him. This was someone who could snap his neck with bare hands in a split second if he wanted to, Sehun thought. 

 

"Your public record has been completely wiped clean, your profile in the NSS system is classified so thoroughly it might as well be completely undetected and nonexistent in the system. It's marked as 'Deceased', but your account has never been terminated, it has never been suspended. It's still active, just buried so deep that no one could ever touch it. Even the best hacker in NSS could not open your file, but that was all I needed to know." Sehun's voice was soft, but he was staring into Kai's eyes with all the intense frustration of all the lies and deceits in the last few weeks. "You confirmed it for me just now. The only way you could have found my profile was either you're some ingenious hacker one level above the country's best IT assemble, or you have access to the NSS data system. Just you, not Kim Seunghwan, because I don't have a bullet embedded in my head yet."

 

Kai's lips were pressed into a tight line, his hand holding onto the gun, his aim unwavering.

 

"Six years ago... the agent in that undercover op never died." Sehun continued, the rumours Joonmyun had told him flashing in his head. "He never died, but he didn't go rogue either. It was a cover-up, I'm guessing it was to trick Kim Seunghwan's eyes and ears in the government. That op from six years ago... it's still on-going. The mission has never been terminated." 

 

The gun was still staring down at him, dark and menacing, but when Sehun looked into Kai's eyes, he saw it. The waver of emotions, as if a dam had been broken. The long silence stretched out. Then the gun dropped, and Kai's shoulders sagged. Kai stared at him for a long beat, then turning away.

 

"You know what they say. When you can't get out, you just have to go deeper."

 

In that moment, Kai suddenly looked much older and more haggard than he ever had. There was no glamour here, and Sehun suddenly realized he was looking at Kim Jongin, NSS' deep-cover operative who had spent the last seven years of his life being someone he most likely hated, walking the thin line between life and death every single day next to East Asia's most dangerous arms broker. He could see it then, the bone-weary lines etched on Kai's face. Seven years worth of lies and deceit.

 

Suddenly in the next moment, Sehun found himself staring down the barrel of a gun once again. He took half a step backwards, startled as he glanced up to see Kai was back to scowling at him.

 

"So what are you doing here, Agent Oh Sehun? No one told me they were going to send another one in, and I'm guessing from your reaction, you had no idea what you were going into either."

 

"I really have no idea," Sehun said, feeling suddenly lost and unsure. He had been thinking about the same thing ever since he discovered the news, turning over and over details in his head. "They refused to tell me anything about that op six years ago. I only thought something was amiss when I realized it was you... Jongin. I just... I couldn't imagine you would ever..."

 

Kai's face twitched when the name left his mouth, his lips pulling up in a twisted half smile half grimace. "Move down to Busan and become the trophy boytoy of some international criminal billionaire?"

 

"I just-"

 

A loud explosion shook the building, the floor grumbling beneath their feet. Both of them stumbled, Sehun falling forward and smacking hard against a marbled sink. He looked up to see Kai's stunned expression for a brief second, before all the electricity abruptly went out after the blast, plunging the room into darkness. There was no longer the insistent thumping of bass from the club beneath them. The loud echo of the explosion thundered in his ribcage, and there was a fraction of complete dead silence before the screams and cries downstairs snapped everything back into focus.

  


-

  
After facing off a couple of an explosives expert and an impossibly elusive Chinese assassin with a sword, Sehun knew it was definitely not luck that propelled Kai through the third attempt on his life with barely a scratch. He hadn't quite seen the fight in the elevator weeks ago, but he could definitely admire the way Kai fought their way to the back entrance of the building this time, side by side with him. His movements were sharp and precise, his aim so fast and accurate that it looked like he was acting on pure instinct and a third eye on the back of his head. Sehun had the advantage of his 'intuition' when he dropped his shields, but he knew Kai was pure black ops training, because Kai was a projective empath, he couldn't sense people the way Sehun did.

 

They made the perfect team, and Sehun's blood was racing when he finally pulled Kai out to the back alley, bursting another hail of bullets into the darkness before using his arm holding the rifle to slam the door close. He jerked Kai forward, and they didn't run far before another set of explosives went off, blowing up the rest of the building into rubble. The ground shook beneath their feet, and his body slammed over Kai's as they tumbled to the ground.

 

"Fuck," Kai laughed into his shoulders, body shaking against his in pure adrenaline. "I forgot about that price on my head."

 

Kai drove like a mad man on the way back, and Sehun was already itching hot underneath his skin when Kai slammed down on the break and swerved in another direction, away from the house. They pulled to a stop just off Dadaepo beach, the place pristine and dead quiet in the night air, nothing there but the rhythmic sound of the ocean waves and their harsh breathing. Kai killed the engine and turned to him, and Sehun only saw a flash of bright eyes before Kai climbed over to his seat, slamming it backwards. He got thrown back with a grunt, and then Kai was on him, thighs hard on both sides of his lips, tongue licking deep into his mouth.

 

It was wet and dirty, Kai's mouth hot against his, letting Sehun swallow down his quiet breathy sounds. Their tongues and lips intertwined, and Sehun bit down on those plump lips he had been dying to taste. His mind flashed back to Jongin kissing him on the rooftop of their highschool at age sixteen, tentative and sweet with the slightest hint of tongues. They had spent long afternoons just making out, kissing and necking until both of them had to go home, lips red and swollen.

 

The press of the lithe, muscular body against his now was startling in its sensuality. Sehun didn't want to admit it, but he'd still been half-hard ever since Kai had rubbed all over him in the club, the adrenaline of the fight just fueling the fire in his blood, their skin smelling of sweat and the residue of gunpowder. Kai might have tried to force the lust on him at first to make a point, but his body had known for a long time what it wanted. Right then, he wanted bare skin hot against his own.

 

Sehun pulled Kai's tank-top off with a fumbling tug, and Kai huffed a laugh against his cheek when he arched up to brush against Sehun's body. Sehun's hands roamed all over Kai's naked back, the skin hot under his touch. Kai struggled to unbutton his jeans in the enclosed space, kicking the passenger door open in the process, and Sehun helped him peel them off endlessly long legs along with his briefs, revealing golden thighs and pert round ass. Kai pressed flush against his body, and Sehun had to jump-start his brain a few times to take in that golden naked body squirming all over him. 

 

Kai's hands tugged off Sehun's shirt, then yanked the button of his pants open. It was like he had no patience left, because Kai barely pushed it down Sehun's thighs before reaching over to pull at Sehun's cock. Kai hitched his hips forward, and Sehun slammed his head back with a gasp as their cocks slid against each other, hard and impossibly hot.

 

"Are you sure about this?" Sehun gasped out, hand thumbing over the heads of both of their cocks, and they both arched into each other, helpless with pleasure. Kai answered by rolling his hips down once more, teeth biting down hard on his lower lip, sucking it into his mouth. Sehun mouthed along Kai's shoulders, having half a mind to remember that he couldn't leave a mark, and that Kim Seunghwan would have his head on a spike if he knew all the things Sehun wanted to do with his precious lover.

 

Kai's hand reached behind him and he jerked open a small compartment, fishing out a tube of lube and throwing it to the seat next to them. Sehun had to swallow down the question of how many times Seunghwan had fucked him in this car. There was something bubbling hot inside Sehun, an ugly sense of possessiveness that said _'I had him first.'_ Long before Kim Seunghwan. Long before all this crazy business with NSS.

 

Kai let out a soft sigh when the first finger slid inside him, wet and smooth with lube. Sehun stroked in and out, feeling the heat sucking him in. The skin of Kai's ass was silky soft against his knuckles, and Kai rode it slightly, his lips parted in arousal as he gazed down at Sehun, pupils dilated and dark with desire. His hand was still stroking both of their cocks, the upwards pull tight and slow. Sehun had to squeeze his eyes shut as Kai's fingers closed tight around the base of their cocks when he slid down on three fingers. Sehun could have fucked him forever on his fingers like that, pulling out soft sighs and tiny moans, but Kai was already pulling off, pressing the sweetest peck against his lips.

 

Kai sank down on him on one slow, smooth movement, the pleasure making Sehun dizzy with heat. Kai was panting loud into his jaws, fingers gripping Sehun's hair lightly, and Sehun let him slowly move up and down for a few beats, Kai's heat taking him in just a little bit more with every slide home.

 

Kai's hands jerked his face up, fingers stroking into his hair, and Kai pressed his forehead against Sehun, letting their hot breath mingle. "Hey, hey. You know I'm not making you feel this, right? I mean, you know I'm not-"

 

Sehun surged up to kiss him, plump lips sweet and bright red. "I know." This was both of them, desperate for each other, and it had been long in coming since the very first time they'd met. "Just let go, _Jongin_."

 

Kai gasped against his mouth, and heat flushed his body, pushing into his mind, taking over all his senses. Nothing but pure striking pleasure. The beat picked up, Kai's hips earnestly bouncing up and down on Sehun's lips, the slap of his ass against Sehun's thigh loud and obscene in the quiet night. Sehun was suddenly aware of how anyone walking by would be able to see this, Kai fucking himself down on Sehun's cock, thighs splayed open on both sides of his hips, his lithe body glistening with sweat in the moonlight. No one would be here at this hour, but Sehun could see it in his head, the two of them intertwining in the throes of this toe-curling pleasure.

 

His mind was swimming in the heat, and when Kai cried out, his fingers coming up to press blazing hot against Sehun's face, the pleasure intensified two-fold in the sudden heatwave, flooding Sehun's synapses and throwing him over the edge.

 

When he came back to his senses, Kai was sprawled boneless in his laps, eyes closed. The weight of him was comfortingly hot on Sehun's thighs.

  


-

  
It was impossible to keep away from Kai once he'd had a taste.

 

They drove to the furthest spots in the south of the city just to let Sehun fuck him into the backseat. Sometimes they did it inside the house, but so very quiet and hasty, because there would be hell to pay if someone caught them in the act. He had Kai bent over a desk, a sink, an armchair, and against a mirror before the end of the week. He was getting increasingly good about being careful never to leave a mark. Sometimes they did it so slow and gentle, Kai would be ripping into Sehun's arm with his teeth in frustration, cock heavy and dark with pent up arousal. Sehun would trace over the marks Seunghwan left on Kai's skin, kissing over each of them as if he could turn them into his.

 

Sometimes he liked it when Kai came to him with lips already red and swollen. Kai would drop to his knees again for him, taking Sehun into his mouth in one fluid gesture, lips pulling tight around his cock as he sucked. Sehun liked it, because he could fuck Kai's mouth as much as he wanted to without worrying about being questioned.

 

Sometimes he'd like to think Seunghwan would never be able to make Kai completely surrender like this, his body burning hot and pliant and desperately arching up to Sehun's touch, eyelids fluttering in dizzying pleasure. No play, no pretense, just Sehun's hands stroking up his thighs and nudging into the cleft of his buttocks, while his mouth pressed soft reverent kisses against every inch of skin he could reach. He'd like to think Seunghwan was never like this, fucking into Kai sweet and hot, drawing out soundless gasps and helpless shivers. There was no need for markings and pristine bruises, Kai was still falling apart in his arms, surging up to kiss him mid-fuck, legs wrapped tight around his stuttering hips. 

 

It was easy to recognize how Kai had slowly been shedding off 'Kai' when he was with him. Jongin was a little calmer, a little more reserved and withdrawn than the sensual being dressed in pristine white. Jongin smiled the way Sehun remembered he had, over a decade ago.

 

"I really didn't recognized you at first." Kai's finger traced the muscles on Sehun's shoulders.

 

"That's heartwarming to know." He hummed, letting Kai map out his body with his fingers and mouth.

 

"No longer some scrawny teenage kid whining at me about mean teachers." Kai ruffled his hair. Sehun grabbed his wrist playfully, pinning it down, until his eyes suddenly caught sight of a faint bruise on the other's arm. He released Kai's wrist. The other man followed his gaze and sighed when he saw what Sehun was looking at.

 

"I know what you think, but he doesn't hurt me, Sehun. Not if I don't want it anyway."

 

It was hard not to wince. "Why."

 

"Letting Seunghwan fuck me is the easy part. It's falling in love that's a challenge." Kai smiled down at him, pulling Sehun's hand back to his body, letting Sehun stroke over the smooth skin of his bare stomach. His fingers stopped at a rough patch. A scar. Round and small, just the right size for a bullet. Kai's stomach tensed under his fingers, but he didn't pull away, and _flash-_

 

The blood was running hot between his fingers, dripping into a pool under his body. The ground was hard and rough underneath his body, the cold seeping through his clothes through his skin to the very core of his bones. His mouth pressed soundless whimpers of pain against the rough surface, shoulders shaking minutely. _Flash._

 

Kim Seunghwan's sharp eyes boring down at him. There was a gun in his mouth, and he was swallowing hot around cold metal. His full lips were stretched tight around the man's favourite revolver, all shiny silver and sleek graceful lines, and it was hard not to flick his tongue up. The gun slid in deeper, almost choking him. _Flash._

 

His blood-soaked hand reached up, shaky but determined in its aim, clutching around the man's wrist. His grip was weak and slippery, smearing red all over the crisp white cuff of the man's shirt. It felt like he was staring death in the face. The gentle smile was still there, the eyes still ice cold and too bright. He didn't want to die. _Flash._

 

The cock of the hammer was deafeningly loud in the dark. _Flash._

 

Sehun gasped, jerking his hand back. 

 

"My cover really was compromised, you know? It was a stroke of luck that he let me live."

 

It wasn't luck. Sehun had felt it - Kai had pushed into Seunghwan's mind. So subtle, so simple, but it worked. A budding feeling of adoration and love.

 

"Do you feel like you owe him then?"

 

Kai was smiling at him, just a small quirk of the lips. "Despite what you think, Kim Seunghwan isn't some sort of cruel monster. He's just a businessman, and a damn good one. It's just that he trades in arms and death."

  


-

  
In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Kim Seunghwan caught on.

 

When he called Sehun into the main study, Kai was already sitting off to the side, staring at the older man with a scowl. Seunghwan barely acknowledged Sehun's presence with a nod, and Sehun shuffled to the side, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. He tried to catch Kai's eyes, but the other man was resolutely not looking at him. When Sehun's eyes flickered down, that was when he saw it. Large, dark rings of fresh bruise lining Kai's wrists, peeking out from under the long sleeves of his shirt. He felt a numb coldness wash over him. There was something stiff in the way Kai was holding himself. He couldn't see any other marks, not on Kai's face anyway, but who knew what was hidden beneath the pristine white of the fabric.

 

Kai had always said Seunghwan would not hurt him, but right at that moment, Sehun wanted to hurt someone very, very badly. He was already taking a step forwards when the door suddenly opened again. His steps faltered.

 

It wasn't until another man walked into the room that Seunghwan really looked up, smiling. It was a short, skinny man whom Sehun had seen around the place. He took care of Club EXO when Kai was not around. Sehun had never paid him much attention, although he'd noticed that Kai had always been a little cold and dismissive towards him the few times they had met. Minjae, he remembered the man's name was.

 

"You called, boss?" The man was grinning at Seunghwan, a sort of nervous, eager grin.

 

"Yeah. How are things in town?"

 

"Uh, we've just finished cleaning up. The police has been wringing everyone, but yeah... uh. We're- we're okay, boss." The man nodded, glancing towards Kai when Seunghwan was not looking.

 

"Good, good." Seunghwan nodded, turning over slightly. Sehun could see him fiddling with a wooden box. The smile lines deepened around Seunghwan's eyes, and suddenly Sehun knew what was going to happen. He could feel it so clearly in the thickened air, but there was nothing he could do. Sehun stood rooted on his spot as Seunghwan calmly turned around and fired a shot right into Minjae's face. The man's head snapped back, blood spraying, and the body dropped to the floor with a resounding thud. Seunghwan had stunningly accurate aim.

 

"What the _fuck_." Kai jumped up, taking several steps back from the bloody mess of brain and bone fragments on the floor. His hand gripped the back of the chair tightly, face twisted with shock and disgust. "What the fuck was that for?" His voice rose, hysterical, and Sehun had the vague thought that Kai had no reason being that disturbed over a dead body after all he'd seen Kai was capable of.

 

Seunghwan looked down at the silver revolver in his hand, shrugging lightly. "That explosion at Club EXO, there was an insider rat." Sehun watched him place it reverently back into the beautiful carved wooden box. Seunghwan walked over to where Kai was standing, carefully side-stepping the bloody mess on the floor, and his arm shot out, hand grabbing Kai's jaws.

 

"You always need to be careful about whom to trust around here." Seunghwan suddenly turned to face him, and Sehun involuntarily took a step back. "You never know when someone's gonna turn and shoot you in the guts. Always gotta look out for yourself, alright?" He was smiling, sharp eyes disturbingly bright, and a chill ran down Sehun's spine. Kai's eyes were wide and panicked. It looked awfully genuine. 

 

"I had a talk with Kris Wu yesterday. It was... interesting." Seunghwan was saying now, eyes drifting back and forth between the two of them lazily. "We sorted a couple of things out. That's what we do, we're smart businesspeople with reasons and logic. He apologized for the recent destruction of my property, of course. And the little BMW, your favourite."

 

And so Minjae had been the peace offering, Sehun realized.

 

"He steadfastly refused that he had anything to do with that kid who wanted to slice you up that one time, but oh well, a man's gotta play his cards close, I suppose. I'll let him slide for that one." Seunghwan shrugged, rueful smile on his lips. "Well, you said you wanted to go into the city today, right? I won't hold you up anymore, just wanted to tell you the good news. Sehun is already here, you can leave now." Seunghwan patted his cheek before letting him go. Kai stumbled back, racing past Sehun out of the room without a word.

 

They spent the entire drive into the city in silence. It had been a warning.

  


-

  
"How's the job going?" Jongdae was thrumming his fingers on the table, the sound of his ring hitting the wooden top loud and grating in the deserted coffee shop. It was just a courtesy. They all knew the op was wrapping up soon, Seunghwan about to close the final deal with his Chinese business partner before getting out of the country. They would hit just right after the final meet-up. All they needed now was a location and a time.

 

"Going. Everyone in that house is still as tightly wound as a Swiss watch spring."

 

Jongdae snorted, then suddenly turned serious. "You know, about what you asked me the other week... I think it's time you asked Kyungsoo about this."

 

Sehun frowned. "Except I can't because he's been gone all week, back to the Seoul headquarter for something urgent, I've heard. And what makes you think he'll tell me anything?"

 

"I think you just need to ask the right questions, Sehun." Jongdae was staring at him now, eyes sharp and intense. "I dug around a bit more after I met you last time." It was no surprise, Jongdae was a curious person. "There is... a second profile linked to the Kim Seunghwan op six years ago. I couldn't find it the first time because I didn't even know what I was looking at. No name. But I tried a few tricks... and got the name of that file. Do Kyungsoo. I don't know what his role was, but he was definitely personally involved in that shitshow."

 

Sehun stilled. He had suspected that Kyungsoo would know who Kai was, but the man had never made any indication of recognizing or acknowledging Kai in all their previous briefings.

 

"Of course, his file is also off the main database, but I've been... sort of asking around..."

 

"And?"

 

Jongdae sighed, leaning forward. "There are myths and secrets inside the NSS, too. There's something... okay, this is something not a lot of people know of, and those who do all eventually dismiss it as a myth, but wasn't NSS' entire existence a myth in you guys' eyes until six years ago? There's something similar in NSS... a rumour about a top secret fraction, technically still under NSS but operating as a completely separate identity. Some call it Section E12, some call it The E Project."

 

"What exactly does it do?"

 

"No one knows. All we have is speculations."

 

"So you're saying those with their profiles off the main database belong to this... project?"

 

"If the descriptions fit." Jongdae ran a hand through his hair. He leaned back, then suddenly leaned forward again. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but I think you deserve to know one last thing." Jongdae looked worried, but the look in his eyes let Sehun know he didn't want to be pulled into this anymore. Jongdae had done him a huge favour, more than Sehun could ever ask for, but it was time for him to get out of the picture. "Your profile has just been moved off the NSS database and behind the encrypted walls of that mysterious outside server, Sehun. I can no longer access it."

 

Sehun sat very still in his seat.

  


-

  
"Seunghwan is leaving Busan next Tuesday after his final deal in South Korea. He is getting out of the country, and he is not going to come back." Kai told him, voice quiet and eyes fixed on the scenery flying past the car window. "You will drive me to our meeting point at Busan's North Port where I'll meet up with him."

 

"Endgame." Sehun's hands tightened on the steering wheel.

 

"Good luck." Kai murmured.

 

Sehun didn't know what the other man really meant until he was starring down the barrel of Kim Seunghwan's silver revolver, just steps away from the mansion's door five days later. On the older man's hand was the tracker Sehun had planted on their car just the day before. Sehun sucked in a sharp breath, going still. The SWAT team were waiting for them at the port.

 

"Good work, agent Lee Sehun, whether that's even your real name." Seunghwan was smiling at him, flanked by several of his bodyguards. Sehun had never felt colder, seeing the man's bright sharp gaze directed straight at him. "But the play's over. Well, I bet it was good for you while it lasted. You must have thought you struck gold by sleeping with Kai, didn't you?" The smile sharpened, and Sehun froze. He hadn't seen Kai all day.

 

"Where is he?"

 

Seunghwan tilted his head. "Are you worried about him? That's nice, but you really shouldn't. He'll be out in a minute. Meanwhile, we could have a little chat. I wonder what it is about you that made him agree to fuck you. After all, he hates your kind the most. But I guess revenge goes a long way."

 

Whatever retort Sehun had died on his lips. "...What?"

 

"Oh, didn't you know? Did they leave out that nice touching story in your briefing? How your people shot and left him bleeding to death six years ago. So cruel, what would the public think?" Seunghwan was grinning now, shaking his head.

 

Sehun stood rooted to his spot, his head spinning with the words. Was Seunghwan saying it had been NSS who had taken Kai down? No, Seunghwan must have been lying to him to mess with his head... but there was no reason for Seunghwan to lie, was there? Bits and pieces of what he knew flashed through his head, all the rumours, all the stories everyone had told him. Kyungsoo telling him the undercover agent had been murdered. Joonmyun telling him the agent had turned rogue and started working for Seunghwan. NSS' puzzling cover-up of Kai's identity. There was suddenly a cold feeling of doubt creeping in the back of his head.

 

"When I found him, it was a miracle that he was still alive, lying there in the pool of his own blood. So I thought to myself, that kid, he's a fighter. And then I looked into his eyes, and I thought- oh, here he is." Seunghwan turned, and Sehun could see Kai coming out from inside the house, his strides quick and certain. He was dressed in a white button-up and dress pants, the soft fabric perfectly pressed. His lips were pressed into a tight line, a slight frown on his face, and Sehun almost missed the gun in his hands. All his shields were up, a complete icy blankness to Sehun's senses.

 

He saw Kai raise the gun in slow motion, his dark eyes staring straight into Sehun's, and-

 

He fired his shot, two steps away from Seunghwan.

 

Sehun stumbled back slighly. He slowly looked down, stunned. He saw the blood seeping out first, soaking the front of his shirt dark red, before he registered the blinding pain in his abdomen. His legs gave out involuntarily, and Sehun fell to his knees, hitting the floor with a soundless gasp. His hand came up to gingerly touch his shirt, and it came away sticky with warm blood. A soft exhale sent a fresh wave of pain through his body. 

 

When he looked up, Seunghwan was pulling the younger man in for a quick peck on the lips. "Make it quick, we have to go soon." 

 

Kai pulled away, and walked over to where Sehun was. Pristine white pants came into his vision, and when Sehun looked up, it was into the pitch black barrel of a gun. Kai was staring down at him, eyes cold and hard.

 

"Endgame, Sehun. I'm sorry it has come to this, but you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kai's voice was soft and calm. Sehun almost couldn't hear the words over the sounds of his own panting. 

 

"Why?" It was all he could gasp out. 

 

"Six years ago, this was how you people shot me down. They left me there, bleeding to death on the ground." Kai moved closer to him, his free hand coming up to brush over his own abdomen.

 

Sehun remembered it, the image of Kai mouthing soundless sobs of pain into the cold floor, blood flowing hot from his stomach. The image Kai had shown him with his scar. Kai had been waiting for something, pressing hard into his own wound every five minutes to keep himself conscious, pain shooting through his body in sharp waves. The shockwave of pain he remembered layered over his own pain now.

 

"Karma's a bitch, isn't it? Now you will know how I felt like, bleeding out on the floor, waiting for my death." The gun traced his cheekbones, metal cold against his skin. He was shaking with shock and pain. "Except no one will come to save your life this time around, agent Sehun." Kai's lips were twisted up in an ugly imitation of a smile, and the barrel of the gun came down hard on his head.

 

Pain exploded behind his eyes, and he felt his body crash to the floor. The last blurry vision he saw was of Kai tugging on Seunghwan's arm, saying _"We have to go."_

 

And then the world went black.

  


-

  
When his head finally swam back to consciousness, he felt the loud buzzing cries first before opening his eyes to see the endless white of the walls. A hospital. Sehun winced, slamming down his shields, blocking out the constant buzz of pain and misery in the building. He had always hated coming here. His body felt weak and oddly numb.

 

The surge of memories came with a surge of confused panic and the excruciating pain of betrayal. Sehun gasped, feeling his head spin, the image of Kai's twisted smile behind the barrel of the gun flashing in his vision. He couldn't move, the drugs pumping in his bloodstream weighing him down.

 

His first visitor was Do Kyungsoo. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to be surprised. It was the first time he'd seen Kyungsoo since all the way before Jongdae's revelation. It seemed like ages ago, and Kyungsoo also looked like he had aged years over the weeks, his face haggard and eyes red with exhaustion.

 

"How...? Kai shot me." He rasped out, feeling the sudden burn of bitterness.

 

"He did. He had to. If he hadn't, Kim Seunghwan would have killed you." Kyungsoo sighed, settling himself down onto the chair next to the bed.

 

"What?" Sehun stilled.

 

"He sent us an emergency signal after leaving you there. Seunghwan and he left the house and the city shortly after."

 

Thoughts were a jumbled mess inside Sehun's head. "He's still working for you?"

 

Kyungsoo simply nodded.

 

A startling sense of relief washed over him, but there was still something niggling at the back of his mind. "But he said... Seunghwan said six years ago... it was NSS who shot down Kai... that was why... this was going to be his revenge. He told me." The words Kai had told him had felt terribly genuine. He remembered that look in his eyes. He remembered. Sudden fear clamped up in him, and Sehun's vision was blurring. It was the drugs, he thought. The drugs was clouding his mind. He couldn't seem to grasp onto a single thought. "Is that true? Weren't you there? Six years ago? I saw- I knew your name... on the database. You had to know... you had to know who Kai was."

 

There was a short silence, and then Kyungsoo started talking, voice calm and soft. "It's true. Six years ago, it was NSS who shot down special agent Kim Jongin. I was the one who did it."

 

Sehun blinked up at him. Time seemed to slow down as the room darkened. Something lurched in his stomach.

 

"I was his partner, six years ago. It was a two-man op. Not many people knew that. We had been undercover for one year when there was a screw-up inside NSS, and our covers were compromised. Or rather, _my_ cover was compromised. We knew sooner or later Seunghwan would catch on, and he would have both of us killed. Jongin refused to pull out, saying he wasn't willing to let it all go to waste, all our efforts in the past thirteen months turned to dust. In a panic, we made up a plan. I would pull out, and he would stay. Somehow Seunghwan had taken a liking to Jongin, and we wanted to play that angle. But in order for him to gain Seunghwan's trust, I would have to kill Jongin. Everything that traced back to our activities in the previous year would be placed on me, who would then disappear, while Jongin acted as the innocent party who was used by me and then murdered in cold blood. We knew if we didn't go to that extreme, Seunghwan would never trust him enough."

 

"It was you who shot him." Flash to the bullet scar on Kai's stomach. Flash to the image of Kai bleeding out on the cold dirty floor as he waited for Seunghwan. Or waiting for his death.

 

"It was a gamble. We didn't know whether Seunghwan would decide to save him or not. Jongin insisted it would work."

 

Falling in love would be the challenge, Kai had said. 

 

"Why didn't you tell me? Why was I brought in?"

 

"Six years later, it was time to close the net. The truth is... we didn't know if Jongin was indeed still working for us, or if he had really gone rogue. There was extremely limited contact between him and us in the last six years. I couldn't stay in contact with him anymore, but his handler said he had suspicions. There were arguments within the higher-ups. I've been flying back and forth between Seoul and Busan for this... You were brought in because the higher-ups wanted a safety catch in case Jongin had really turned. I never told you that because... I trust him."

 

"Why? How could you know?"

 

Kyungsoo sighed. "I'm a receptive empath just like you, Sehun." He'd known. He'd known after that first time Kyungsoo had touched him. "Jongin and I... We knew each other for a long time, having come into the agency at the same time. You can sense him, Sehun. Do you think he really has turned?"

 

"...No." The truth was he didn't. Not even when Kai had shot him, eyes dark and empty over the barrel of the gun. "Where are they now?"

 

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that." Kyungsoo hadn't said it, but Sehun already knew the answer. He closed his eyes, pushing down the feeling of desperate disappointment in his chest. Kyungsoo was already standing up. "You have been pulled off the case, agent Oh Sehun. You will return to NIS after this. We thank you for your service, and..." Kyungsoo leaned down, hand warm over Sehun's shoulder. "Thank you." He murmured quietly, and Sehun knew it was not his 'service' Kyungsoo had meant.

 

Sehun clenched his eyes shut, feeling the distant throb of pain deep in his abdomen.

  


-

  
Seoul was still exactly the same as he had left it. The city was still humming under his feet. His apartment was dry with dust. Desk-work for the next couple of months while he recovered, but Sehun couldn't even bring himself to feel frustrated. Joonmyun eyed him with concern, but didn't hover. Sehun was grateful for it. The world lulled him back to an old routine. Busan seemed half a world away. Some kind of half-hearted summer fling. Off-handed tale of romance and adventure to tell at the barbecue table, if he left out that part about dead bodies and the blood gushing out of his stomach.

 

Except who was he kidding, really? Kai had burned a spot into the insides of his head, leaving behind a wound that was just barely beginning to scab over. His subconscious put their final scene together on repeat in his dreams, the image of the cold barrel of Kai's gun tracing his cheekbones playing over and over in his head. Sometimes Kai blew his head off with a second bullet. Sometimes a blade shot out from inside his sleeve, slitting Sehun's throat in one graceful arch. He always woke up with his lower lip bleeding, the taste of metal almost too familiar on his tongue.

 

It was probably too much to hope that summer fling would never come back to the city to haunt him.

 

He saw Kim Jongin again in a late autumn afternoon, just down the street a block away from his apartment on his way to the grocery store. Sehun thought he was hallucinating at first, walking past that familiar face in a daze, until a hand grabbed his arm and whirled him back. 

 

"Despite your poker face, I know you recognized me." Kai smiled at him, looking hesitant and awfully familiar, yet there was something oddly jarring. He had been waiting for Sehun. The young man was dressed in a simple navy blue jacket, t-shirt, and tight dark jeans. Hair soft and brushed carelessly over his forehead. He spoke with a clear Seoulite accent, voice deep and smooth. This was not Kai of the sun-soaked Busan summer. This was Kim Jongin, the lost child of Seoul.

 

"It's over," Jongin said when he saw the look on Sehun's face. "It's been over for two months, but I've been busy. Sorry I couldn't visit you sooner." Jongin smiled at him as if they were just old friends catching up after months of absence. As if he hadn't shot down Sehun the last time they'd seen each other. "I'm glad you seem better." Jongin's eyes darted down his form. "Let's find a café and catch up."

 

Sehun let himself be tugged along, too stunned to protest. He had nearly managed to shove Kai and Kim Seunghwan into the back of his mind, painting it as just some faraway forgotten tale, left behind on the beaches of Busan on the other side of the country. And yet, Kim Jongin was back.

 

They found a small café just up the street, glass walls and wooden tables. They were nestled in a corner of the shop, Jongin sipping on his drink while Sehun chewed on the head of his straw.

 

"Is he dead?" Both of them knew all too well whom they were talking about.

 

"No," Jongin shook his head, a light smile playing on his lips, "he's been brought in. The op was successful. I'm sitting here with you, aren't I?"

 

What a silly question that had been, Sehun thought. He struggled to form questions from the jumbled mess inside his head. "Why was I pulled out?" He had spent the first month angry at Kyungsoo, Kai, NSS, and pretty much the whole world. Then the pain just cooled into a sort of bitter numbness.

 

"Because I made a mistake." Jongin's eyes were hot on his skin, and Sehun remembered the slide of hot flesh and teeth biting down on swollen lips. He remembered Jongin's thighs splayed open on the sides of his hips, squeezing tight and trembling with pleasure. "The op had been going for too long, and that was no excuse, but I made a mistake. I was getting complacent, and Seunghwan was too smart not to catch on." He remembered how lonely and isolated Kai had looked, the way the smirk had never quite reached his eyes when there had been no one looking. Sehun had been his first and only anchor of his real self in those seven year of being Kai.

 

"There could have been gentler way of doing it." It wasn't quite what he wanted to say, but he'd been haunted for months by the image of Kai's cold, dark eyes staring down at him as he pulled the trigger. The pain still felt real, as well as that bitter sense of betrayal.

 

"I'm sorry," Jongin's eyes softened, his eyelids fluttering down, "Things were moving too fast, and I knew I had to get you out of the way before Seunghwan killed you. If he had been the one who shot you, I would be talking to a grave right now."

 

Jongin wasn't saying it, but Sehun understood what he meant. The mission always came first, even at the risk of your colleague's death. That was how NSS had always managed to be so ruthlessly efficient. Jongin would have killed him if he'd deemed it necessary, the same way Kyungsoo had in that very first Seunghwan op six years ago. They were pawns, calculated for the best possible move, and sometimes there had to be sacrifices.

 

"Was it hard, bringing him in?" Sehun still remembered the way Kai had always subtly leaned into Seunghwan's touch, his eyes softening with adoration whenever the man pulled him close. Even now, it brought an uncomfortable clench in his stomach. Jongin was quiet for a moment, sloshing around his iced latter with the straw.

 

"On some level... Kai really was in love with Kim Seunghwan, you know? It wouldn't have worked if that emotion hadn't been real. I'm a projective, but that only means I can make people feel what I feel. For seven years, I was Kai." Until Sehun came along, and the cracks started showing.

 

"In that last moment before the bust, when he pulled me in for the last time and I saw the look in his eyes reflected back at me... I knew he was in love with Kai, too. That was how Seunghwan fell. He trusted me, and the trap was laid. It was a slow burn, but it worked. It was the perfect plan." Jongin let out a shaky breath. "But I am not him anymore. Kai is dead and gone now." Jongin's eyes flickered up, and Sehun saw it, the subtle difference. There was no trace of the sensuous smirk on Jongin's lips, no lazy cocksure strides, no slicked back glamour. Even when they'd been fucking behind Seunghwan's back after Sehun had come to know Kai's real identity, there had always been something guarded and half-hearted in the man's manners, as if he couldn't shake Kai off him. But right then, there was no trace left of the billion-won trophy lover. Jongin looked older... and tired.

 

This was not Kai anymore, but Sehun had no delusion that this was the same Kim Jongin he had first met in highschool more than a decade ago either. That Jongin had grown up, and Sehun wasn't sure he was even remotely familiar with the person Kim Jongin had grown into.

 

They were both quiet for a while, Sehun mulling over Jongin's words. Seoul in a late autumn afternoon was golden with the sunshine, the street outside the café bustling with couples and groups of teenagers. Somehow Seoul felt like worlds away from Busan.

 

"Why are you really here, Jongin?" The name sounded foreign on his tongue. "You can't tell me it's just catching up between old friends."

 

Jongin's hand inched closer to his on the table, fingers not quite touching, but so close he could feel the warmth.

 

"I'm extending an offer of employment."

 

Something in Sehun's stomach plummeted, even though he should have been expecting it.

 

"Did Kyungsoo ask you to do this?"

 

"You might already know this, but your esper rating is probably off the charts, Sehun. Even back in highschool I knew you were an exceptionally strong empath. That was what pulled us together."

 

"This is not a job offer from the NSS, is it?" Sehun looked into Jongin's eyes, and he knew the answer. "You and Kyungsoo. You never really worked for NSS, did you? I wasn't working for NSS either. You pulled me into it without me knowing the real truth. The E Project. Section E12." The myth within the myth of NSS. Now Sehun finally knew what it really was. It was surprisingly easy to put together the puzzle pieces once he knew what the pieces were. "A group of black ops agents with abnormally high esper rating. Projective and receptive empaths. That's why it's so secretive, because the power to rip into the mind of other people, knowing their heads inside out and influencing what they think? That's pretty hard for the public to swallow. It's down-right terrifying."

 

It made sense now. That mission had been a field test. Sehun wasn't quite sure he wanted to know how well he'd done.

 

Jongin's lips quirked into a small smile. "I know people might think we are all monsters, but we are not, you know? We struggle just like other human beings. We might have more secrets buried and skeletons in the closet, but we try our best for what we believe is the greater good, Sehun. There always has to be someone getting their hands dirty to get things done."

 

"You are asking me to join an agency that didn't even hesitate about shooting you in the guts and leaving your life in the hands of a dangerous criminal. After seven years of getting stuck in a life that didn't belong to your own." He didn't want to ask Jongin if sleeping with Seunghwan was part of that plan. "After _you_ shot me in the guts to keep your identity safe in a mission."

 

"Not every mission is so dire, Sehun." Jongin flinched, but his voice was still soft and calm. "We normally do smaller ops. The first one you walked into was just an extreme. And it isn't all that bad. We travel all over the world, we can be whoever we want to be. I chose and built Kai, you know? There's the thrill, the sense of satisfaction when you do something that contributes to everyone's safe existence in this country. You might not be acknowledged by the general public, but we were not born with all this... power just to sit around at a desk job, you know? I enjoy what I do." Jongin paused. "Maybe not so much when Kyungsoo shot me in the guts. Or when some paranoid psycho in management sicced an assassin on me just because they got it into their heads that I was a loose cannon, of course."

 

"What?"

 

"Remember the blond Chinese kid that one time, with the knives?" Jongin chuckled, shaking his head. "One of the Project's favourite free-lance contractors, it turns out. Kyungsoo was pissed when he heard about it."

 

"You know this isn't exactly encouraging me to think this is a wise career path, right?"

 

"We do what we have to do, it's nothing personal. As long as you don't screw up, you live another day. For what it's worth, that asshole director has been taken off the Project's board." Jongin shrugged. He suddenly leaned forward, eyes bright and intense. "You have so much potential you haven't realized yet, Sehun. We are capable of so many things outside of this world's imagination. You've spent your whole life suppressing who you really are, scared of what people would think of you if they knew the truth. We're not monsters, Sehun, we're so much more than this. This is your chance, Sehun. You could be something so much greater. No more hiding."

 

Sehun could feel it, the buzz of the crowd inside his head. "There is no moral in what you do."

 

Jongin's hand stilled around his drink. "We might not follow society's code of morality, but it's necessary, Sehun. We are doing good work out there. I won't force you in this. You have a choice to refuse, and The E Project will be gone from your life forever. No contact, no trace."

 

The warmth of Jongin's fingers next to his on the table was all too familiar. Flash to the cold haunted look in Kai's eyes as he stared down the barrel of a gun. Flash to the heady heat of their lips brushing together, bodies pressing flush against one another in the club. Flash to the blinding pain and the hot sticky blood running between his fingers. Flash to Jongin's bright laughter all the way back in highschool on their rooftop, Jongin's fingers hot on his cheeks. Flash to Sehun's mother hissing at him, _'There is something wrong in your head.'_

 

"So what will your choice be, Oh Sehun?"

 

Sehun looked up straight into Jongin's eyes, and they both knew the answer.

  


\---

  



End file.
